Pneumatic boat



April 25, 1939.

PNEUMATIC BOAT Filed Nov. 24, 1937 ATTORNEYS I 1.. A BROWN 2,156,175

Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE PNEUMATIC BOAT Letha A. Brown, Kansas City, Kans.

Application November 24, 1937, Serial No. 176,351

1 Claim.

This invention relates to pneumatic boats, and its general object is to provide a boat that can be quickly inflated for use, and readily folded when deflated for disposal in compact form, so as to take up minimum space in storage, or be conveniently carried or transported in an automobile or the like, from place to place, with the result the boat will be very desirable for use by vacationists at water resorts, for fishing and water pleasures, as well as by hunters, campers, etc.

A further object is to provide a pneumatic boat that is capable of supporting several persons, with utmost safety, in that it has a high degree of buoyancy and includes separate air chambers or 15 tubes that are amply protected against becoming punctured or damaged, yet ready access can be had thereto for repairs and other purposes.

Another object is to provide a pneumatic or inflatable boat that can be conveniently propelled by oars and is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely eflicient in use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference 3 will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the boat which forms the subject matter of the present invention, and illustrates the cars therefor in applied position.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

40 Figure 3 is a top plan View of the inner tubes which provide the air chambers of my boat.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be noted that I have illustrated my boat as being of substantially .oval formation, with pointed 45 ends, but it can be made of other shapes, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In any event, the body of the boat which is indicated by the reference numeral l is of hollow tubular formation and is preferably made in the shape of a boat, from heavy waterproof canvas or other like fabric material, to provide a continuous casing, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

Sewed or otherwise secured to the body or casing is a strip 2 of waterproof material, which provides the bottom of the boat, and the connecting edges at the juncture of the bottom with the body are suitably waterproofed to prevent leakage as will be apparent.

Mounted in the body or casing and shaped to follow the shape thereof, is a rubber or pneumatic tube which is preferably made up of separate substantially arcuate shaped tube sections 3, there being four sections shown, and the ends of each section are closed, with the closed ends preferably vulcanized or otherwise secured to- 10 gether. Each of the sections has a valve 4 for inflating and deflating the same, and the valves are preferably of the type now in general use on inner tubes for vehicle tires, so that the sections can be inflated by the use of a hand pump, if necessary.

The body or casing is slit at intervals, so that access may be had to the tube sections for removing and applying the same, and the slit edges of the casing are preferably secured together by Zipper or slide fasteners 5. However, the casing may be slit for the entire circumference thereof, with a Zipper fastener for closing the same, and itwill of course be understood that the slit or slits are arranged on the inner side of the casing, so that they will be protected from the water. The casing is also provided with openings 6 for the passage of the valve stems therethrough, and the openings are reinforced by eyelets, as will be apparent.

Secured to the ends of the casing in the form as shown, are substantially triangular shaped pieces of fabric material which provide seats I, and of course it will be understood that other seats may be provided for disposal between the ends and transversely of the spaced portions of the casing.

In order to reinforce the body or casing and to hold the boat in proper shape, as well as to support the bottom, I provide a plurality of straps, two of which are indicated by the reference numeral 8 and extend diagonally of the body and bottom and the other two which are indicated respectively by the reference numerals 9 and I0 extend transversely and longitudinally of the body and bottom. The straps are secured to the body and bottom and follow the curvature of the body, thence extend along the upper and lower surfaces of the bottom, as indicated in Figure 2. Fixed to the portions of the transverse strap 9, that extends about the body or casing, are rings II or other suitable means to provide car looks for the oars I2.

It is thought from the foregoing description 66 that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A foldable pneumatic boat comprising a substantially oval shaped body having pointed ends and formed from waterproof fabric material into a continuous tubular casing, an inflatable tube in said casing and including sections shaped in substantially arcuate formation and having flat ends disposed in end to end engagement for cooperation of the sections with each other to follow the shape of the casing, valve means for each section, said casing being slit longitudinally to provide access means to the interior thereof for inserting and removing the tube, a slide fastener for the slit portions for securing the same together, a Waterproof fabric bottom for the boat and secured to the underside of said body, reinforcing straps for the body and bottom and secured thereto in. a manner to follow the transverse curvature of the body and for disposal diagonally, transversely and longitudinally of the bottom on the upper and lower surfaces thereof, oar locks secured to the transversely disposed straps, and substantially triangular shaped pieces of fabric material secured tothe upper side of the body at the ends thereof to bridge the same and providing seats.

LETHA A. BROWN. 

